Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Oh well, even with my reduced portfolio, I'm still in good shape on my w/d rate. Just enjoying a cheap old bastard lifestyle. Although I did spend $115 on a frigging passport and photo today. Plan to get away next year on a trip and enjoy a little of what I have left in the piggy bank.

Heading off to St. Andrews for a few days of links play?

__________________"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets

I been drinking a German Riesling called Saint M. Its good stuff. Was getting it for 6.99 a bottle but it shot up to 11.99

I see new labels pop up at bargain prices only to shoot up when they are "discovered." We found a Calif chardonney called Fisheyes for about $5. I like it although I'm more a red wino. It's one of DW's favorites.

__________________The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane -- Marcus Aurelius

OK - I messed up - I meant to say brussel sprouts for 0.89 Euro cents a kilo...not broccoli - was *very* late Europe time when I wrote it.

REWahoo (BTW have a great time on your 10 day RV jaunt!) - as for wine and beer - it goes without saying - the costs for alcohol out here, especially wine and beer, are much cheaper than in the US - Riesling is OK - I like Italian Pinot Grigio and I'm hoping to get my hands on a nice Calvados when I go to France in the next couple of weeks. Riesling is from the Rhine (Rhein) River area - I prefer the taste of the bochsbeutels of the Neckar River - there's more of a minerally taste which I like - I grew up in AZ and they used to drink the groundwater there (now it's CAP water - YUCK!) and it was hard with minerals. The Neckar wines remind me of that a bit.....as for a German red, well, let's just say not too good compared to the CA reds I drank just last month. I'm also not a Bordeaux fan, but do like a good Burgundy. Merlot is over-rated to me and I don't like a straight Pinot Noir. I do like dry champagne :-) And I like the Rheims/Eparnee (sp) area which grows the wonderful grapes for the bubbly - beautiful area.

OK - enough of a hijack - sorry about the broccoli/brussel sprouts mix-up.....

Regarding the freefall - great article on WSJ talking about the Gulf area and how things are going there economically - looks like Abu Dhabi is the area which has the most petrodollars in reserve and all that real-estate on that 'made-up' island in Dubai is not soaring in value as before - even the multi-millionaires are suffering. The best part of the article to me was at what price per barrel the governments could function without a deficit - it ranged from $33 to $47 a barrel (Saudi being the highest) - so there was some serious 'profit' during the times of $100+ a barrel, but it looks like they went and tried to make even more money by buying currency swap derivatives and other more risky financial vehicles. What was also interesting was how much their governments actually support the citizenry.....'redistribution of the wealth' anyone? Oops, didn't mean to make it a Soapbox re-direct.....

__________________
Deserat aka Bridget
“We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” - George Orwell/Winston Churchill

I've been mulling this over myself (100% G since last year) - so you feel good about the Small Cap fund?

Well, in this market they don't seem any riskier than anything else. Actually, the international fund has been hit the hardest percentage wise, but then it's also had the biggest run up in the past five years.

I was 100% in the G fund for a while (maybe two years), then I realized I couldn't time the market. I kept thinking the economy felt like a house of cards, but I was two years too early. So I went in 60/40 with the plan to go 70/30 if the market dropped.

If it keeps going down, I might move another 10%, but it would have to drop quite a bit more before I'd do that.

I have a large cash reserve (and I Bonds) in taxable accounts, no debt and a future FERS pension plus another small pension from a Fortune 100. I don't plan on touching the TSP for another 10 years at the earliest.

Latest Threads

Social Knowledge Community

About Us

This community was started in 2002 as an alternative to a then fee only Motley Fool. The focus of the discussions is on topics related to early retirement and financial independence. The community is moderated to ensure a pleasant experience for our members.